Larah Mazon

Where are you from and/or where are you based as a Memorisely student?

I moved to San Mateo, CA from Seattle just before covid happened but I was born and raised in the Philippines! 🇵🇭

I realized I don’t have much outdoor photos, but here’s a decent few I could find. The Bay Area and Seattle has some lovely sunsets right around spring and fall seasons. Give’s me a reason to pause my work and stand by the window for a few minutes

‍

Seattle’s dusky skies
‍

San Mateo, CA.

Here’s a panoramic shot of one of my hikes in Washington in 2019.
‍

Rattlesnake Ledge, Snoqualmie, WA

What inspired you to pursue UX/UI and become a designer?

It feels more like I stumbled upon UX and got hooked. I knew I wanted to be in the design industry but I found out quite late that I didn’t enjoy creating logos or graphic design illustrations as a job— I was happier with it as a hobby. In my last semester of college however, I needed to take an extra class to fill in the required units and enrolled in a Usability class. I learned about using user feedback and testing products / designs to improve them and fell in love with the process. I researched what avenues I can find related to this, I found out about the UX industry and never turned back.

Which Bootcamp did you choose to enroll in, and why?

I signed up for the design system bootcamp! There’s still a lot for me to learn and I wanted to fill in the knowledge gap I had after getting a UX Certification from Google / Coursera. They briefly touched up on the topic of design systems but was never really explored in depth.

What's it like to be a student in Memorisely's virtual classroom?

It’s really engaging and fun! I love the hands-on activities and despite being virtual there’s still opportunities to collaborate and interact with my classmates. More importantly, I always learn something new each session!

What has been your favorite part of Bootcamp so far? What's one learning that has surprised you in Bootcamp?

I love the interactivity that the bootcamp provides. After the class, I tend to check back on the activities we did during the class and see if I could replicate it myself or make it in a different way. I knew design systems were crucial to establishing a consistent design for the product but I’m surprised how thorough and detailed they can get when it comes to the documentation.

What is the biggest challenge you face learning UX/UI Design?

As someone who’s fresh in the field, it can be difficult sometimes to find good information about UX. It can get overwhelming as there’s so many sources that’s accessible now. Often I see LinkedIn or Medium posts that promotes a certain method or idea of UX but then a different post saying the opposite. I’ve learned to take it with a grain of salt as it can be a case by case basis.

What does a typical day look like for you as a student?

I almost always start my day with my trusty moka pot and brewing my own coffee. I usually have a few hours before a class so I spend most of my time looking for ways to polish my portfolio and checking for opportunities.

Then after class, I like to go back into the activities that I feel like didn’t go so well and try to redo them on my own.

Anything goes after that. I usually have a few things planned in my Notion so I work my way through them throughout the day and plan for the next.

What is your current workspace setup?

I usually do my UX work on my Macbook and keep my personal and gaming stuff on my PC. I like to keep my desk neat since I get distracted too much if there’s clutter around, and I make sure to have a water bottle on the side to remind myself to hydrate (which I’m terrible at).

What are your go-to or "must have" apps?

‍

Notion - I use it hand in hand with my planner to organize plans and ideas. I’ve also recently enjoy making templates to share! A sample of a template I created to track your reading list!

‍

Headspace - It’s technically a meditation app but I mostly use their soundscapes since I take forever to fall asleep and this helps clear out my head.

What (digital or physical) product recently blew your socks off?

PS5’s DualSense controllers! It really does add a layer of immersion to the gameplay and makes me feel like I’m actually doing what my character does on screen. There’s that tactile feeling of its triggers being more stiff when doing certain actions like pulling back a bow or revving up a vehicle. The audio cues from the controller also makes the player feel like they’re really engaged and whatever they’re interacting with feels like it’s in their hands making the sounds.

What tunes do you listen to while designing?

I’m the type of person who listens to an artist’s album on loop till I get sick of it 😅 I’m currently listening to Florence + The Machine since she’s out of her hiatus and an album coming in May.

Share three pieces of advice for fellow and/or future students?

1. Keep learning — Whether it’s about design or something else, there’s always something new to learn. You’ll never know when you’ll find inspiration from something that may be completely different from what you’re working on.
2. Be Curious — Ask questions, explore more and be open-minded.
3. Stay kind — Empathy is one of our core values as UX designers but it shouldn’t just stay in our work. The world is a crazy place and a little bit of kindness goes a long way. 😊